Croatia will be allowed into the Schengen area, where border controls are abolished, from January 1, 2023, while Bulgaria and Romania will be stopped.

This was written by the representative of the Czech Republic, the EU presidency, on Twitter on Thursday, several media outlets report.

Ministers from the 27 EU countries have voted to expand the Schengen area to include Croatia, Bulgaria and Romania, after the European Commission recommended in November that the three countries be admitted.

According to Deutsche Welle, Austria has opposed the approval of Bulgaria and Romania. Austrian Interior Minister Gerhard Karner said ahead of Thursday's vote that he intended to vote against the expansion of the Schengen area to include Bulgaria and Romania. A decision to expand the area would have required unanimity among voters.

Source: Nyhetsbyrån Direkt